Breaking Apart Instances; Getting Information About Instances On The Stage - MACROMEDIA FLASH MX 2004-USING FLASH Use Manual

Breaking apart instances

To break the link between an instance and a symbol and make the instance into a collection of
ungrouped shapes and lines, you "break apart" the instance. This is useful for changing the
instance substantially without affecting any other instance. If you modify the source symbol after
breaking apart the instance, the instance is not updated with the changes.
To break apart an instance of a symbol:
Select the instance on the Stage.
1.
Select Modify > Break Apart.
2.
This breaks the instance into its component graphic elements.
Use the painting and drawing tools to modify these elements as desired.
3.

Getting information about instances on the Stage

As you create a Flash application, it can be difficult to identify a particular instance of a symbol
on the Stage, particularly if you are working with multiple instances of the same symbol. You can
identify instances using the Property inspector, the Info panel, or the Movie Explorer.
The Property inspector and Info panel display the symbol name of the selected instance and an
icon that indicates its type—graphic, button, or movie clip. In addition, you can view the
following information:
•
In the Property inspector, you can view the instance's behavior and settings—for all instance
types, color effect settings, location, and size; for graphics, the loop mode and first frame that
contains the graphic; for buttons, the instance name (if assigned) and tracking option; for
movie clips, the instance name (if assigned). For location, the Property inspector displays the x
and y coordinates of either the symbol's registration point or the symbol's upper left corner,
depending on which option is selected in the Info panel.
•
In the Info panel, you can view the instance's size and location; the location of its registration
point; its red (R), green (G), blue (B), and alpha (A) values (if the instance has a solid fill); and
the location of the pointer. The Info panel also displays the x and y coordinates of either the
symbol's registration point or the symbol's upper left corner, depending on which option is
selected. To display the coordinates of the registration point, click the center square in the
Coordinate grid in the Info panel. To display the coordinates of the upper left corner, click the
upper left square in the Coordinate grid.
•
In the Movie Explorer, you can view the contents of the current document, including
instances and symbols. See
In addition, in the Actions panel, you can view any actions assigned to a button or movie clip.
"Using the Movie Explorer" on page

Getting information about instances on the Stage

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